The Impact of Residual Inflammatory Risk and Leukocytosis on Post-Stroke Cognitive Impairment in Patients with Acute Ischemic Stroke

Objective: To investigate the impact of residual inflammatory risk (RIR) and leukocytosis on post-stroke cognitive impairment (PSCI) in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS). Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 300 AIS patients admitted between January 2022 and December 2025. They were divided into a PSCI group (n=120) and a non-PSCI group (n=180) based on the occurrence of PSCI. Inflammatory markers such as white blood cell count (WBC), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), and NLR were measured to evaluate RIR. Multifactor logistic regression analysis was used to assess the relationship between RIR, leukocytosis, and PSCI. Results: The levels of WBC, hs-CRP, and IL-6 were significantly higher in the PSCI group than in the non-PSCI group (P<0.05). Multifactor regression analysis showed that leukocytosis (OR=2.45, 95%CI: 1.62–3.71), RIR (OR=3.12, 95%CI: 1.98–4.92), age ≥65 years (OR=3.113, P=0.001), and NIHSS ≥6 were independent risk factors for PSCI. Among them, hs-CRP had the highest diagnostic value, followed by WBC. Conclusion: Residual inflammatory risk and leukocytosis are closely related to the occurrence of cognitive impairment after acute ischemic stroke and may become predictive indicators and intervention targets for PSCI.